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5 Family Camping Tips For Your Next Adventure

When you are inundated with emails from work at all hours of the day and night, you need to hit the great outdoors! When your children refuse to look up from their tablets and smartphones at the dinner table, it is time for a family camping trip.

However, if the mere suggestion of camping strikes fear in your loved ones, here are some helpful family camping tips which will help you all disconnect from daily life and remember the thrills and serenity of nature.

1. Pack Right

You do not want to overpack on your voyage, but it is likely you will need a variety of outfits even if you are only away in the woods for a few days. Layers are important for cold nights and misty mornings; you can then discard the fleece pullovers and leggings as the day warms up.

If you are near a lake or a swimming hole, make sure you remember bathing suits. And take into account the fact that everyone may get muddy- so one extra pair of socks per person is advisable.

Invest in a lightweight travel pack for each camper. Kids can help out by carrying their own stuff and learn a lesson in prioritizing essentials. Not every teddy bear gets to go on the camping trip!

2. Plan your meals

Meals may be the biggest challenge of the family camping trip, especially when everyone has different palates. Most kids are used to grabbing whatever they like from the refrigerator at every hour of the day.

One of my favorite family camping tips is to pack a dutch oven. These handy items can cook a meal for a crowd easily and you can use them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can find a wide variety of cast iron dutch oven recipes for camping which will help you please even the pickiest eaters on your family camping trip.

3. Leave the electronics at home

To really reap the rewards of a family excursion into Mother Nature, you need to put down the iPhones and the computer. If you need your cell to stay in touch with work or you are concerned about a medical issue, lock it up in the glove compartment of your car so you can get it if you need it.

If your kids are not used to entertaining themselves without their devices, now is a great time to “get crafty.” You can show them how to create a nature journal to describe or sketch the flora and fauna they see, or they can make artwork out of leaves, twigs and stones.

4. Do not forget the first aid kit!

From bug bites to blisters from new hiking boots to the ill-timed fever, you will want to be prepared with some medical care essentials when you are out in the woods. Make sure you pack band-aids, insect repellent, aspirin and rubbing alcohol to deal with those unexpected bumps and bruises.

It is not just the kids who may require medical attention. Include any regular medication needed by the grown-ups on the trip. You do not want to be an hour’s drive away from the nearest pharmacy if predictable health conditions arise.

5. Let everyone know what to expect

Another one of the most important family camping tips to remember is communication.

If there are family members new to camping, it is important to prepare them for what they can expect. Children who are scared of the dark should know they will be sleeping outside under the stars. Grandma should be alerted to the fact that the public bathrooms are a fifteen-minute walk from the campsite.

Put a positive spin on the adventure! You all will be making memories that can last a lifetime.

Just let the first-timers know what it means to “rough it” if this is not one of their regular activities. Otherwise, you may expect some complaining to mar the fun.

Follow These Family Camping Tips For a Happy Escape

Whether you are exploring one of our country’s amazing national parks, or just starting out at a local campsite, a family camping trip can be the perfect way to reconnect with your loved ones. Without the distractions of the modern world, you can share good grub, fresh air and plenty of laughs by just getting away from it all.

Start planning your camping trip today!

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